The NFL Combine is a three-day showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis at the RCA Dome. At the Combine, draft-eligible college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers and scouts. With increasing interest in the NFL Draft, the scouting combine has grown in scope and significance, allowing personnel directors to evaluate upcoming prospects in a standardized setting. Its origins have evolved from the National, Blesto and Quadra Scouting services in 1977, to the media frenzy it has become today.
Tests/evaluations include:
- 40 yard dash
- Bench press
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- 20-yard shuttle
- three-cone drill
- 60-yard shuttle
- Position-specific drills
- Interviews
- Physical measurements
- Injury evaluation
- Drug screen
- The Cybex test
- The Wonderlic test
Athletes attend by invitation only. Implications of one's performance during the combine can affect perception, draft status, salary and ultimately his career. The draft has popularized the term "Workout Warrior," whereby an athlete, based on superior measurables such as size, speed and strength, have increased their "draft stock" despite having a possibly average or subpar college career.